Ask HN: How would your life be if the internet didn't exist? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How would your life be if the internet didn't exist?

9 pointssamh7486 comments

Personally, without access to the world's knowledge, I would never have discovered just how big of a nerd I am (and boy do I love being a nerd). The internet has also been the only portal for me to connect with like-minds, not just intellectually, but spiritually/emotionally.

Overall if the internet didn't exist, I would've lived in absolute oblivion and zero self-awareness, chugging along checking all the boxes until the end of life.

While some people might prefer to live without the internet and it's "distractions", I reckon a lot of people depend on the internet and the web, for escape, for comfort, for connection, for existence.

I don't know about you, but some days, it seems the internet is the only thing that feels real.

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Life was pretty decent before the internet. You still could research the world, it just took reading, going to libraries, listening to radio and TV. You saw people more, interacted more. Entertainment usually involved gathering with friends, more time was spent outside.

It is nice to have everything at our fingertips, and it has made many things easier - shopping, banking, paying bills, working remotely. And yes, it is good for wasting time enjoyably when you aren't busy.

But I have to disagree 100% that the internet is vital to life. I can understand why someone who did not live before it can feel that way, but to me that is a red flag that you already have zero self-awareness and are just chugging along checking virtual boxes. I believe that getting off the internet for a decent chuck of time each day is vital to life.

Would? More like Was.

> Personally, without access to the world's knowledge

Ha! Before the internet we had things called 'books' that stored all the world's knowledge. You could buy them in shops, or borrow them from a place called a 'library'. There were also publications called 'magazines' and 'newspapers' that were for more ephemeral information. You got them in places called 'newsagents', which were everywhere.

It was however, more difficult (and expensive) to get pornography, especially if you were a teenager. There were still plenty of nerds, and we formed clubs to socialise.

I remember my life before the Internet. It was much more focused and much more creative. The paradox of having all this information but having to constantly battle the context witch, the firehose, the shiny new things has made the Internet a waste of time more than an aide in my flourishing.

Nowadays I've cut most of the site I used to visit. It remains: reddit, HN, YouTube, Wikipedia and some streaming sites. Gradually I will curb even them and will use the Internet as a giant library: a place where I will download books and article I find interesting but the library is not interesting in itself.

Will I be free? Wish me luck.

Before the internet: 1. Think or learn of something interesting; 2. Find time to travel to library; 3. Survey likely locations for source; 4. Either-- Find promising source & page through it, copier, drive home; OR-- call NYPL OR-- nothing.

After the internet: 1. Type in decent search terms; 2. Firehose. Details: Articles, commentaries, books on other continents, maps, sat pictures... OR-- nothing. Time savings: 90%, OR-- end up with 10x as much, 50%.

Not to even mention endless insights into various people's stories and POVs.

Less stressful in all, no social media to boast one’s wealth, and less impostor syndrome.

Better in most ways but really bad in others.

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